


Feather In Her Cap

by Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw



Series: October Ficlet Challenge [60]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-27 05:00:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12574256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw/pseuds/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw
Summary: River finds a magic box. And then, inside the TARDIS, she finds another magic box.Pairing: Eleventh Doctor/Clara Oswald/River Song. Prompt: animal transformation.





	Feather In Her Cap

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt and beta by the exquisite imaginary_golux.

River sighed with relief. The TARDIS. She didn't like to rely on the Doctor to save her skin, but sometimes one simply had an emergency meeting with one's thesis advisor and didn't have a thing to wear. She had just dug the key out from her cleavage when the door creaked open on welcome. "Good to see you too," she whispered, rubbing a thumb over the familiar wood.

A quick check of the life-signs monitor showed there was nobody aboard, but she doubted he'd miss the odd frock. She whistled as she wandered the halls, ambling through a back alley until she reached an quaint little room dominated by a wooden wardrobe, an absurdly large piece of dark wood with rich engravings. It was a shame the room was so poorly lit; she imagined the work would be exquisite in the proper light. She couldn't imagine why such a fine bit of work was hidden away. "I'll never be a proper archaeologist if I don't at least take a peek," she decided aloud, and opened the wardrobe.

She squinted. It was dark and difficult to tell, but although the closet seemed mostly empty, she thought there was a dress in the back. She reached in, then stepped in; how deep was this thing? The door clicked shut behind her and she had to choke back her oldest fear, fear of the dark, her second fear, claustrophobia. She flapped and floundered and tangled in something--perhaps there was something hanging in the cabinet after all?--and ran and slammed into and through the door and then into the ground. 

***

“Clara, I don’t want you to be afraid,” the Doctor said, as calmly as he could (not very), “but there’s someone else already on the TARDIS.”

“I didn’t think anyone could get on without a key,” Clara hissed back. 

“Theoretically, yes. Which is concerning. Stay close.” He grinned, a little foolishly.

Sooner or later, they wend their way through to a darkened room which would ordinarily be conspicuous for the size of the wooden wardrobe within but was now notable for having an unconscious macaroni penguin tangled up in a woman’s clothes. “Frobisher, have you been cross-dressing again?”

“You know the penguin?” Clara asked, trying not to laugh.

“Whifferdill. He just likes being a penguin. Though not usually with the yellow tufty things or the dressing in drag or…” He looked at the glossy high heels, then to the penguin, now glaring at him. “River?” 

The penguin nodded.

“Can I fruffle her crest?”

“Ask her,” the Doctor snorted. “God knows I don’t speak for her.”

“Can I, River?” Clara squatted down and sat cross-legged next to her. “Don’t you look adorable.” The penguin--River--considered her, and hopped into her lap, and permitted her feathery crest to be stroked lovingly. “Go on, Doctor, give her a pet.”

The Doctor folded his legs with some serious doing and surprisingly little toppling over. “Oh, that’s very nice. You’re awfully cute, aren’t you? Yee-ow!” he yelped as River nipped his finger with her bill.

Clara had just enough time to giggle before River reverted back to her (very naked) human form, the Doctor’s finger still in her mouth. “Well. Hello.” Clara grinned. “You didn’t say she was good-looking.”


End file.
